User input configurations for a data processing device

ABSTRACT

An apparatus is described comprising: a data processing device having a memory for storing program code and data and a processor for processing the program code and data, and a display for displaying graphical images and text; a control wheel rotatably and communicatively engaged with the data processing device, the control wheel causing a graphic element on the display to move in a first direction by a first predefined amount when rotated in a first direction and causing the graphic element to move in a second direction by the first predefined amount when rotated in a second direction; a first input button communicatively coupled to the data processing device and positioned directly adjacent to the control wheel in first direction; and a second input button communicatively coupled to the data processing device and positioned directly adjacent to the control wheel in the second direction, wherein the first input button, when selected, causes the graphic element to move in the first direction by a second predefined amount and wherein the second input button, when selected, causes the graphic element to move in the second direction by a second predefined amount.

PRIORITY

This application claims priority from the provisional applicationentitled DATA PROCESSING DEVICE HAVING MULTIPLE MODES AND MULTIPLEASSOCIATED DISPLAY/KEYBOARD CONFIGURATION, Ser. No. 60/507,257, FiledSep. 29, 2003.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to the field of data processingdevices. More particularly, the invention relates to versatileinput/output and display configurations for a data processing device.

2. Description of the Related Art

Portable data processing devices such as Personal Digital Assistants(“PDAs”) and programmable wireless telephones are becoming more powerfulevery day, providing users with a wide range of applications previouslyonly available on personal computers. At the same time, due to advancesin silicon processing technology and battery technology, these devicesmay be manufactured using smaller and smaller form factors. Accordingly,users no longer need to sacrifice processing power for portability whenselecting a personal data processing device.

Although processing devices with small form factors tend to be moreportable, users may find it increasingly difficult to interact withthem. For example, entering data may be difficult due to the absence ofa full-sized keyboard and reading information may be difficult due to asmall, potentially dim Liquid Crystal Display (“LCD”).

To deal with this problem, devices have been produced which physicallyadjust to an “active” position when in use and an “inactive” positionwhen not in use. For example, the well-known Motorola® Star-TAC®wireless telephone flips open when in use, thereby exposing a telephonekeypad, a display and an earpiece. However, when this device retracts toan “inactive” position, the keypad, display, and earpiece are allcompletely inaccessible.

To solve these problems, the assignee of the present applicationdeveloped a data processing device 100 with an adjustable display 103 asillustrated in FIGS. 1 a-c. The data processing device 100 includes akeyboard 101, a control knob/wheel 102 (e.g., for scrolling between menuitems and/or data), and a set of control buttons 105 (e.g., forselecting menu items and/or data).

The display 103 is pivotally coupled to the data processing device 100and pivots around a pivot point 109, located within a pivot area 104,from a first position illustrated in FIG. 1 a to a second positionillustrated in FIGS. 1 b-c. When in the first position the display 103covers the keyboard 101, thereby decreasing the size of the device 100and protecting the keyboard 101. Even when the display is in the firstposition, however, the control knob 102 and control buttons 105 areexposed and therefore accessible by the user. The motion of the display103 from the first position to a second position is indicated by motionarrow 106 illustrated in FIGS. 1 a-b. As illustrated, when in the secondposition, the keyboard 101 is fully exposed. Accordingly, the display isviewable, and data is accessible by the user in both a the firstposition and the second position (although access to the keyboard isonly provided in the first position).

In one embodiment, the data processing device 100 is also provided withaudio telephony (e.g., cellular) capabilities. To support audiotelephony functions, the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 a-c includesa speaker 120 for listening and a microphone 121 for speaking during atelephone conversation. Notably, the speaker 120 and microphone 121 arepositioned at opposite ends of the data processing device 100 and areaccessible when the screen 103 is in a closed position and an openposition.

SUMMARY

An apparatus is described comprising: a data processing device having amemory for storing program code and data and a processor for processingthe program code and data, and a display for displaying graphical imagesand text; a control wheel rotatably and communicatively engaged with thedata processing device, the control wheel causing a graphic element onthe display to move in a first direction by a first predefined amountwhen rotated in a first direction and causing the graphic element tomove in a second direction by the first predefined amount when rotatedin a second direction; a first input button communicatively coupled tothe data processing device and positioned directly adjacent to thecontrol wheel in first direction; and a second input buttoncommunicatively coupled to the data processing device and positioneddirectly adjacent to the control wheel in the second direction, whereinthe first input button, when selected, causes the graphic element tomove in the first direction by a second predefined amount and whereinthe second input button, when selected, causes the graphic element tomove in the second direction by a second predefined amount.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A better understanding of the present invention can be obtained from thefollowing detailed description in conjunction with the followingdrawings, in which:

FIGS. 1 a-c illustrate a prior art data processing device with anadjustable display.

FIG. 2 illustrates one embodiment of a data processing device in a firstorientation and/or operating mode.

FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment of a data processing device in a secondorientation and/or operating mode.

FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of the data processing device from aperspective view.

FIGS. 5-7 illustrate one embodiment of the data processing device whichincludes an adjustable display.

FIG. 8 illustrates one embodiment of the data processing device from atop view in which the display is rotated to expose a keyboard.

FIG. 9 illustrates movement of the display according to one embodimentof the invention.

FIG. 10 illustrates one embodiment of a mechanism for coupling anadjustable display on a data processing device.

FIG. 11 illustrates a second embodiment of a mechanism for coupling anadjustable display to a data processing device.

FIG. 12 illustrates a manner for highlighting glyphs according to oneembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 13 illustrates a manner for highlighting glyphs according toanother embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 14 illustrates a hardware architecture employed in one embodimentof the invention.

FIG. 15 illustrates an operational mode selection module according toone embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 16-17 illustrate another embodiment of the invention having anadjustable display screen.

FIGS. 18 a-b, 19 and 20 illustrate embodiments of the invention whichincludes a moveable numeric keypad integrated between a moveable displayand a data processing device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerousspecific details are set forth in order to provide a thoroughunderstanding of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, toone skilled in the art that the present invention may be practicedwithout some of these specific details. In other instances, well-knownstructures and devices are shown in block diagram form to avoidobscuring the underlying principles of the present invention.

Several different multi-purpose input/output and display configurationsfor a data processing device are described below. As will be apparentfrom the following description, many of these configurations areparticularly beneficial when employed on a dual-purpose data processingdevice such as a personal digital assistant (“PDA”) or other mobilecomputing device having integrated wireless telephony capabilities(e.g., a combination PDA and cell phone). However, it should be notedthat the underlying principles of the invention are not limited towireless telephony configuration.

A data processing device 200 according to one embodiment of theinvention is illustrated in FIG. 24. The data processing device 200includes a display 206 with a viewable display area 205 for displayingvarious types of text and graphics (e.g., graphical navigation menus,email messages, electronic calendars, electronic address books, . . .etc). In one embodiment, the display is a backlit or reflective thinfilm transistor (“TFT”) display. In another embodiment, the display is atransflective SuperTwisted Nematican (“STN”) display. However, theunderlying principles of the invention are not limited to a particulardisplay type.

In one embodiment, the data processing device 200 includes two or moredifferent modes of operation which may be associated with two or moreoperational orientations. In the first mode of operation, the display206 is viewed in a first orientation, illustrated generally in FIG. 2(i.e., images are displayed upright on the display when the device isoriented as shown in FIG. 2). By contrast, in the second mode ofoperation, the display 206 is viewed in a second orientation,illustrated generally in FIG. 3 (i.e., images are displayed upright onthe display when the device is oriented as shown in FIG. 3).

In one embodiment, the data processing device 200 includes a first setof control elements 210 positioned to the right of the display 206 and asecond set of control elements 224 positioned to the left of the display(i.e., to the “left” and “right,” respectively, in the first orientationillustrated in FIG. 2). Thus, in the first operational mode, the firstset of control elements 210 are readily accessible by a user's righthand and the second set of control elements 224 are readily accessibleby a user's left hand. As used herein, the term “control elements” meansany type of data input or control mechanism associated with the dataprocessing device 200 including, by way of example and not limitation,data entry keys such as alphanumeric keys, knobs, scroll wheels, orbuttons. As will be described in greater detail below, in oneembodiment, the various control elements configured on the dataprocessing device 200 may perform different operations in the differentoperational modes.

In one embodiment, the first set of control elements 210 includes acontrol wheel 202 positioned between two control buttons 201 and 203, asillustrated. Various different types of control wheels 202 and controlbuttons 201 and 203 may be employed such as those currently used on theBlackberry™ line of wireless messaging devices from Research In Motion.The control wheel 202 may be used to move a cursor device, highlight baror other selection graphic on the display 205 to select menu items,program icons and other graphical or textual display elements. In theembodiment shown in FIG. 2 the first button 201 is configured to selectgraphical/textual items highlighted on the display screen 205 (asindicated by the check mark), and the second button 203 is configured tode-select items and/or to “back” out of a current application, menu,icon, . . . etc (as indicated by the X mark). Alternatively, or inaddition (i.e., depending on the selected mode of operation), the “X”may cancel actions and return to the previous screen, and the check markmay save actions and return to the previous screen. By way of example,if the email application is open, “X” may cancel the composition of anew message, whereas the check mark may send or save a message that hasbeen composed.

By way of example, and not limitation, if an email client application isexecuted on the device 200, the control wheel 202 may be configured toscroll through the list of email messages within the user's inbox (e.g.,with the current email message highlighted on the display 205). Thefirst control button 201 may be configured to select a particular emailmessage within the list and the second control button 203 may beconfigured as a “back” button, allowing the user to back out of selectedemail messages and/or to move up through the menu/folder hierarchy. Ofcourse, the underlying principles of the invention are not limited toany particular configuration for the control wheel 202 or controlbuttons 201, 203.

The second set of control elements 210 also includes a keypad 211 forperforming various additional control and/or input functions. In oneembodiment, the keys of the keypad 211 are configured to performdifferent input/control operations depending on whether the dataprocessing device 200 is in the first mode/orientation (FIG. 2) or thesecond mode/orientation (FIG. 3). In addition, as will be described ingreater detail below, in one embodiment, a first series of glyphs arehighlighted on the keys 211 when the data processing device 200 is inthe first mode and a second series of glyphs are highlighted on the keys211 when the data processing device is in the second mode. Variousmechanisms for highlighting a particular set of glyphs may be employed(as described below).

When in the first operational mode, the keypad 211 includes a series ofcursor control keys to move a cursor up, down, left, and right, asindicated by the “{circumflex over ( )},” “v,” “<” and “>” glyphpointers, respectively, on four of the keys of the keypad 211illustrated in FIG. 2. The keypad 211 also includes “page up” and “pagedown” keys (e.g., configured to perform typical page up/down functions);a “delete” key for deleting text characters; and a “home” key forjumping to the data processing device's main menu, or performingapplication-specific functions typically associated with a “home” key(e.g., moving a cursor to the beginning of a line in a word processingdocument). A “menu” key is also provided which generates acontext-specific menu when selected (e.g., a different menu may begenerated based on which application is currently running). Variousalternate and/or additional keys may be included within the keypad 211while still complying with the underlying principles of the invention.In addition, two functions keys are provided, F1 and F2, which may beprogrammed by the end user to perform designated operations (e.g.,opening a particular application, jumping to a particular file folder, .. . etc).

Of course, the particular keypad layout illustrated in FIG. 2 is notrequired for complying with the underlying principles of the invention.For example, alternate configurations could provide “Home” and “Menu”functions on the left hand side of the device, and additional functionslike “Back” on the right hand side in the area shared by the keypad.It's also notable that the scroll wheel may be eliminated entirely asthe “21 ,” “>,” “v” and “{circumflex over ( )}” keys are sufficient formaking selections and highlighting onscreen items.

The second set of control elements 224 illustrated in FIG. 2 includes a“jump” button 226 which allows a user to jump to designated applicationsand/or points within the graphical menu/folder hierarchy. For example,the user may jump to a specified application by selecting the “jump”button and one of the keys within the keypad 211. The second set ofcontrol elements 224 also includes a “back” button 226, allowing theuser to back out of selected applications or points within themenu/folder hierarchy. Once again, various additional functions/keys maybe included within the second set of control elements 224 while stillcomplying with the underlying principles of the invention.

As mentioned above, in one embodiment, the data processing device 200includes an integrated telephone with a wireless transceiver fortransmitting/ receiving audio signals over a wireless telephony network(e.g., a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network or othertype of cellular network). As such, in this embodiment, the dataprocessing device 200 is equipped with a telephony input/output portdesigned to interface with a “hands-free” headset and microphone. Inaddition, as illustrated, one embodiment of the data processing device200 includes a speaker 220 at one end and a microphone 215 at the otherend, to provide telephony capabilities without a separate headset and/ormicrophone.

In one embodiment, the functions associated with the various controlelements are automatically modified when the data processing device 200is switched between the first and second operational modes.Specifically, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the keys of the keypad211 within first set of control elements 210 are converted from the dataentry functions described above to a numeric keypad. As illustrated, theglyphs on the face of each of the keys of the keypad change, both incontent and in orientation, to reflect the associated change in functionand orientation of the data processing device 200. The numeric keypadfunctions are particularly suitable when the data processing device 200is used as a telephone. Thus, in one embodiment, the second mode is a“telephony mode” in which the data processing device operates as atelephone and in which the user may enter a telephone number and performother telephony-based functions via the numeric keypad 211.

In addition, when in the second mode, the functions performed by thecontrol wheel 202 and control buttons 201 and 203 may be automaticallymodified. For example, if the second mode is a “telephony mode” asdescribed above, the first control button 201 may be used to initiateand answer calls and the second control button 203 may be used toterminate calls. Moreover, in one embodiment, the control wheel may beused to navigate through telephony-based menus such as the user's storedtelephone numbers and the telephone menu structure.

In one embodiment, applications, menus and/or user interface featuresmay also be modified to reflect the switch between the first operationalmode/orientation and the second operational mode/orientation. Forexample, when in the first mode of operation, a more advanced userinterface may be triggered which is navigable via the first and secondsets of control elements 224 and 210, respectively. By contrast, when inthe second mode of operation, a user interface may be provided which ismore easily navigable with the limited control functions provided by thecontrol wheel 202, control buttons 201 and 202, and numeric keypad 211.Moreover, telephony-specific applications may be automatically madeavailable or launched when the data processing device 200 is in thesecond mode (i.e., assuming that the second mode is a “telephony” mode),whereas a more general set of applications may be made available to theuser when the data processing device 200 is in the first mode.

In addition, as illustrated generally in FIGS. 2 and 3, in oneembodiment, when switching between the first mode and the second mode,the orientation of images and/or text on the display screen 205 willchange. For example, in the first mode, images/text are displayedright-side-up when the device is oriented as shown in FIG. 2. Bycontrast, when in the second mode, images are displayed right-side-upwhen the device is oriented as shown in FIG. 3 (i.e., the images arerotated 90 degrees with respect to the orientation shown in FIG. 2). Inone embodiment, the specific image orientation to be used for eachoperating mode may be selected by the end user.

Switching between the first and second operational modes may occurautomatically and/or manually. For example, in one embodiment, selectinga designated key or sequence of keys may cause the data processingdevice 200 to switch between modes (e.g., simultaneously pressing the“back” and “” menu” buttons). Alternatively, or in addition, the dataprocessing device 200 may automatically switch between modes based onthe specific operations or applications selected by the user (e.g., asdescribed in greater detail below with respect to FIG. 15). For example,if the device is in the first mode and the user selects atelephony-based application from the main menu (e.g., a list of storedtelephone numbers) the data processing device 200 will automaticallyswitch to the telephony mode 200.

In one embodiment, motion sensors (not shown) are configured within thedata processing device 200 to detect its orientation, and responsivelygenerate control signals identifying its orientation. In response to thecontrol signals, the data processing device 200 then switches betweenthe first and second modes of operation. Various alternate mechanical orlogical (e.g., software/hardware) triggers may be employed to switchbetween the first and second operational modes. Alternate logicalmechanisms may include, for example, non-user-initiated software choicessuch as receiving a phone call, or having a calendar event set up toremind the user to hold a conference call. Alternative mechanicaltriggers may include, for example, a slide switch which is comfortableto access in either operation mode and which hides/reveals symbolsindicating which mode is active, or an illuminated push button switchwhich toggles between the two modes and illuminates symbols indicatingwhich is the active mode.

In one embodiment, illustrated in FIGS. 5-8, an alphanumeric keyboard500 (e.g., a QWERTY keyboard) is configured on/within the dataprocessing device 200. In this embodiment, the display 206 is configuredto rotate around a pivot point 207 from a first position, in which itcovers the alphanumeric keyboard 500 (as it does in FIGS. 2-4), to asecond position, in which it exposes the alphanumeric keyboard 500(illustrated fully-exposed in FIGS. 7 and 8).

In one embodiment, the display 206 rotates from the first position tothe second position within a plane defined by the display 206 (e.g., asdoes the data processing device illustrated in FIGS. 1 a-c).Alternatively, as illustrated in FIG. 5, in one embodiment, the frontedge 501 of the display 206 initially lifts upward as illustrated inFIG. 5, creating an angle between the plane defined by the dataprocessing device 200 and the plane defined by the display 206. To aidthe user in lifting the display, in one embodiment, a small nub 502 isformed on the non-viewable portion of the display (e.g., providing aprotruding surface for engaging with the user's thumb).

Once elevated, the display 206 rotates around the pivot point 207 to thesecond position shown in FIG. 7 from a front perspective view and FIG. 8from a top view. In one embodiment, rather than initially lifting up asillustrated in FIG. 5, the display will lift upward as it rotates fromthe first position to the second position. FIG. 6 illustrates thedisplay elevated and rotated halfway between the first position and thesecond position. A rotation arrow 505 is provided to indicate therotation of the display 206.

The display 206 may lift upward at various different angles in relationto the data processing device 200 (e.g., 7 deg, 15 deg, 25 deg, . . .etc), both prior to rotating to the second position and/or after it hasreached to the second position. As illustrated in FIG. 9, in oneembodiment, the display 206 is adjustable at a variety of differentangles with respect to the data processing device 200, both from thefirst position and/or the second position. Of course the display mayopen from no angle when in the first position to a fixed angle while inthe second position while still complying with the underlying principlesof the invention.

In one embodiment, the display 206 may be closed over the alphanumerickeyboard 500 from the second position, with the display screen 205facing the keyboard 500, thereby exposing the back of the display andprotecting both the display screen 205 and the keyboard 500. Thisconfiguration may be particularly useful when the data processing device200 is stored away for travel (e.g., stored within a suitcase orpocketbook).

In one embodiment, the display 206 initially rotates within a planedefined by the display from the first position to the second position asdescribed above. Then, when the display is in the second position theangle between the display 206 and the data processing device 200 may beadjusted, as described above with respect to FIG. 9.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2-8, the display 206 is viewable regardless ofwhether it is in the first position or the second position (i.e., unlessit is closed with the display screen 205 facing the keyboard 500 asdescribed above). When in the first position, the display 206 covers thekeyboard 500 thereby decreasing the size of the data processing device200 and protecting the keyboard 500. Even when the display 206 is in thefirst position, however, the first and second sets of control elements210 and 224, respectively, are exposed and therefore accessible by theuser. When in the second position, the alphanumeric keyboard 500 isfully exposed, providing for fully-functional data entry (e.g.,composing of an email message).

In one embodiment, the second position of the display 206 represents athird operational mode/orientation for the device 200. Thus, when thedata processing device 200 switches from the first or second operationalmodes described above to the third operational mode, different menus,applications and/or other user interface features may be activated. Forexample, when the device enters the third mode of operation, userinterface features associated with applications may change to reflectthe availability of the alphanumeric keyboard 500 (e.g., more advancedtext-based data entry capabilities may be provided allowing users toenter text directly within the body of email messages or word processingdocuments).

Two different mechanisms for enabling the motion of the display 206 asshown in FIGS. 5-7 are illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11. The mechanismillustrated in FIG. 10 includes a cylindrical chamber 1005 fixedlyattached to a rotation element 1020. A pin 1010 rotates within thechamber as indicated by rotation arrow 1030. The pin is coupled to thedisplay 206 and rotates in response to upward or downward forces appliedon the edge of the display 206, causing the edge of the display 206 tomove upward or downward with respect the data processing device 200 asillustrated in FIG. 9. A torsion spring 1011 cooperatively mated withboth the pin 1010 and the chamber 1005 generates a torque on the pin1011 which holds the pin, and therefore the display 206, in place whenit is not being manipulated by the user (e.g., to counteract gravity andhold the display 206 in a position such as that shown in FIG. 7). Ofcourse, various other well known techniques may be employed to hold thedisplay in place (e.g., using springs and/or friction).

The rotation element 1020 is rotatably coupled to the data processingdevice 200. For example, a pin formed on/within the data processingdevice 200 may fit within a cylindrical chamber located on the undersideof the rotation element 1020, allowing the rotation element 1020 torotate in the manner indicated by rotation arrow 1031. The rotation ofrotation element 1020 allows the display 206 to rotate from the firstposition illustrated in FIGS. 2-4 (in which the keyboard 500 is covered)to the second position illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8 (in which thekeyboard 500 is exposed). Once again, various different types ofrotational mechanisms may be employed to allow the screen to rotatewhile still complying with the underlying principles of the invention.

FIG. 11 illustrates another embodiment for enabling the motion of thedisplay 206. This embodiment includes a first connection element 1105which is fixedly coupled to the non-viewable side of the display 206.The first connection element is rotatably coupled to an arm 1121 androtates around a rotation point 1106 as indicated by rotation arrow 1130. The arm 1121 is fixedly coupled to a cylindrical element 1120 whichrotates around an axis defined by a pin 1110. The pin 1110 is insertedthrough a cylindrical chamber within the cylindrical element 1120. As inthe prior embodiment, a torsion spring 1111 may be coupled to the pin1110 and the chamber 1120 to hold the chamber 1120 and therefore thedisplay 206 in an elevated orientation.

As mentioned above, different glyphs on the control elements 210 and 224may by highlighted to identify different functions, based on theoperational mode of the data processing device 200 (e.g., based onwhether the data processing device 200 is in the “first,” “second” or“third” operational modes described herein). Similarly, different glyphson the alphanumeric keyboard 500 may by highlighted based on the mode ofoperation and/or user-selected functions. For example, if a first set offunctions for standard alphanumeric input (e.g., standard alphanumericcharacters) are enabled, glyphs associated with the first set offunctions (e.g., glyphs representing the alphabet) are highlighted. Inone embodiment, a second and third set of functions may be enabled bythe user by holding down an ALT or CTRL key, as with a standard QWERTYkeyboard. In this embodiment, different glyphs representing thedifferent functions associated with the keys of the keyboard 500 may behighlighted. For example, if the combination of the CRTL key and the Xkey (i.e., X when used for standard alphanumeric input) cuts text from adocument then, upon selecting the CTRL key, the glyph “CUT” or adifferent symbol representing the “cut” function (e.g., a pair ofscissors) may be highlighted on the key instead of the glyph “X.” Ofcourse, the underlying principles of the invention are not limited toany particular set of key combinations or functions.

Various techniques may be employed to highlight the different glyphsassociated with each key within the keyboard 500 and/or control element210, 224. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 12, in one embodiment, afirst glyph 1200 is printed on the face of each key 1201 with arelatively subtle coloring in relation to the color of the key (e.g., adark gray glyph printed on a light gray key). In one embodiment, thesurface of the key and/or the glyph is comprised of a silveredreflective material which reflects light incident upon the surface 1201from an external light source. Various different types of reflectivesurfaces may be used for the face of the key 1201 and/or glyph 1200. Inone embodiment, when the data processing device 200 is in a first modeof operation associated with the first glyph 1200, the light reflectedoff of the reflective surface 1201 reveals the glyph 1200 because of thedifferent coloring of the glyph 1200 in relation to the remainder of thesurface 1201.

It should be noted that a “silvered reflective material” is not strictlynecessary for implementing the multiple glyph features described above.For example, any type of material which reflects sufficient light tohide its internal structure may be employed while still complying withthe underlying principles of the invention. This may include, forexample, a think coat of a light colored paint, or a fully transparentplastic with enough surface texture to diffuse the light (e.g., and giveit a frosted appearance).

In addition, as illustrated in FIG. 12, a second glyph 1205 is formed ona second surface 1206 beneath the first surface 1201. In one embodiment,the second glyph 1205 is formed from a translucent or transparentmaterial (e.g., transparent plastic) whereas the remainder of thesurface 1206 is opaque. An LED 1210 is positioned beneath the secondglyph 1205 and the second surface 1206. In one embodiment, when the dataprocessing device 200 is in a second mode of operation associated withthe second glyph 1205 (e.g., turning the keypad into a numeric keypadillustrated in FIG. 3), the LED 1210 generates light from underneath thesecond surface 1206 and second glyph 1205. The light passes through thetransparent or translucent second glyph 1205 and is blocked by theremainder of the second surface 1206, thereby highlighting the secondglyph 1205. The light generated by the LED 1210 is of a high enoughintensity so that it will pass through the first surface 1201 and glyph1200, thereby illuminating the second glyph 1205 for the user 1205. Asdescribed above, the first surface 1201 and first glyph 1200 reflectlight incident from outside of the key (as indicated in FIG. 12).However, in one embodiment, the first surface 1201 and first glyph 1200are semi-transparent or semi-translucent with respect to light generatedfrom beneath the key or inside of the key (e.g., from the LED 1210illustrated in FIG. 12).

In another embodiment, separate LEDs are configured to illuminate eachglyph. By way of example, FIG. 13 illustrates a key 1300 with an opaquetop surface 1305 and two translucent/transparent glyphs 1301 and 1302. Aseparate illumination chamber, 1310 and 1311, is provided underneatheach glyph, 1301 and 1302, respectively. The chambers 1310 and 1311 areseparated by an opaque divider 1330. A first LED 1320 is configuredwithin the first chamber 1310 to provide light to illuminate the firstglyph 1301 and a second LED 1321 is configured within the second chamber1311 to provide light to illuminate the second glyph 1302. In oneembodiment, the different LED's are enabled and/or disabled based on thecurrent operational mode selected on the data processing device 200. Forexample, the first LED 1320 may be illuminated for the first operationalmode and the second LED 1321 may be illuminated for the secondoperational mode.

In another embodiment, the same illumination chamber may be sharedbetween different glyphs. In this embodiment, the contrast betweenglyphs may be controlled by adjusting the color of the light generatedby the different LEDs. Once particular implementation for illuminatingglyphs is described in the co-pending application entitled “A METHOD OFDYNAMICALLY LIGHTING KEYBOARD GLYPHS,” Filed Aug. 17, 2001, Ser. No.09/932,195, which is assigned to the assignee of the present applicationand which is incorporated herein by reference. One embodiment describedin this co-pending application adjusts contrast between glyphs byselecting LED colors which are complimentary to the colors of certainglyphs. For example, if an LED color is selected which is complementaryto the color of a glyph, that glyph will absorb the complimentary lightand will appear dark in relation to the other glyphs. Various alternateand/or additional techniques for highlighting glyphs may be employedwhile still complying with the underlying principles of the invention.

One embodiment of a data processing device architecture is illustratedin FIG. 14. It should be noted, however, that the underlying principlesof the invention are not limited to any particular device architecture.In fact, the underlying principles of the invention may be implementedon virtually any data processing device capable of processing data anddisplaying text and graphics.

The particular embodiment illustrated in FIG. 14 is comprised of amicrocontroller 1405, an external memory 1450, a display controller1475, and a battery 1460. The external memory 1450 may be used to storeprograms and/or data 1465 transmitted to the data processing device 200over a network (now shown). In one embodiment, the external memory 1450is non-volatile memory (e.g., an electrically erasable programmable readonly memory (“EEPROM”); a programmable read only memory (“PROM”), . . .etc). Alternatively, the memory 1450 may be a volatile memory (e.g.,random access memory or “RAM”) but the data stored therein may becontinually maintained via the battery 1460. The battery 1460 in oneembodiment is a coin cell battery such as those used in calculators andwatches.

The microcontroller 1405 of one embodiment is comprised of a centralprocessing unit (“CPU”) 1410, a read only memory (“ROM”) 1470, and ascratchpad RAM 1440. The ROM 1470 is further comprised of an interpretermodule 1420 and a toolbox module 1430.

The toolbox module 1430 of the ROM 1470 contains a set of toolboxroutines for processing data, text and graphics on the device 100. Theseroutines include drawing text and graphics on the device's display 430,decompressing data transmitted from the portal server 110, reproducingaudio on the device 100, and performing various input/output andcommunication functions (e.g., transmitting/receiving data over theclient link 160 and/or the RF link 220). A variety of additional devicefunctions may be included within the toolbox 1430 while still complyingwith the underlying principles of the invention.

In one embodiment, microprograms and data are transmitted to/from theexternal memory 1450 of the device via a communication interface 1470under control of the CPU 1410. Various communication interfaces 1470 maybe employed without departing from the underlying principles of theinvention including, for example, a Universal Serial Bus (“USB”)interface or a serial communication (“serial”) interface. Themicroprograms in one embodiment are comprised of compact, interpretedinstructions known as “bytecodes,” which are converted into native codeby the interpreter module 1420 before being executed by the CPU 1410.One of the benefits of this configuration is that when themicrocontroller/CPU portion of the device 100 is upgraded (e.g., to afaster and/or less expensive model), only the interpreter module 1420and toolbox 1430 of the ROM needs to be rewritten to interpret thecurrently existing bytecodes for the new microcontroller/CPU. Inaddition, this configuration allows devices with different CPUs tocoexist and execute the same microprograms. Moreover, programmingfrequently-used routines in the ROM toolbox module 1430 reduces the sizeof microprograms stored in the external memory 1450, thereby conservingmemory and bandwidth over the client link 160 and/or the RF link 220. Inone embodiment, new interpreter modules 1420 and/or toolbox routines1430 may be developed to execute the same microprograms on cellularphones, personal information managers (“PIMs”), or any other device witha CPU and memory.

One embodiment of the ROM 1470 is comprised of interpreted code as wellas native code written specifically for the microcontroller CPU 1405.More particularly, some toolbox routines may be written as interpretedcode (as indicated by the arrow between the toolbox 1430 and theinterpreter module 1420) to conserve memory and bandwidth for the samereasons described above with respect to microprograms. Moreover, in oneembodiment, data and microprograms stored in external memory 1450 may beconfigured to override older versions of data/microprograms stored inthe ROM 1470 (e.g., in the ROM toolbox 1430).

As mentioned above, different operational modes may be selected whichmay correspond to different operational orientations of the dataprocessing device 200. One embodiment of a data processing device 200,illustrated in FIG. 15, includes an operation mode selection module 1500for selecting between the various operational modes described herein inresponse different triggering events. The “triggering events” mayinclude the output of one or more operational mode sensors 1502 whichautomatically detect the correct operating mode for the data processingdevice 200. For example, one embodiment of the invention includes aswitch which is triggered when the display 206 is moved between thefirst position (FIG. 2) and the second position (FIGS. 7-8). Theoperation mode selection module 1500 reads the position of the switch toidentify the correct operating mode. Various types of switches may beemployed while still complying with the underlying principles of theinvention including electrical/magnetic switches and/or mechanicalswitches.

In one embodiment, the triggering events also include informationrelated to applications 1506 or other types of program code executed onthe data processing device 200. For example, a telephony application maydetect incoming calls and provide an indication of the incoming calls tothe operation mode selection module 1500, which may then switch to the“telephony” operational mode described above. Similarly, if atelephony-based application is executed (e.g., because the user opens atelephone list), this may indicate that the user is going to use thedata processing device 200 as a telephone. Conversely, if the user opensan instant messaging application or Web browser, this may indicate thatthe user does not wish to use the device as a telephone but, rather, maywish to use the device for text entry. The operation mode selectionmodule 1500 may monitor various aspects of the applications 1506executed on the data processing device to determine an appropriateoperational mode. The user may also manually select an operational modeas indicated in FIG. 15 (e.g., by selecting a particular control elementor series of control elements).

In one embodiment, once the operation mode selection module 1500identifies the correct operational mode, it adjusts the functionsassociated with the keys of the keyboard 500 and/or control elements210, 224 as described above. In addition, if the keys/control elementsare equipped with different glyphs, as described above, then the glyphsassociated with the new functions are highlighted.

In addition, in one embodiment, the operation mode selection module 1500adjusts the user interface 1510 based on the detected operational mode.As mentioned above, in one embodiment, the orientation of text andimages rendered on the display 206 are adjusted based on the currentoperational mode of the data processing device 200. For example, if thedata processing device 200 is in the first operational mode then imagesmay be rendered on the display 206 as illustrated in FIG. 2 (i.e.,right-side up when the data processing device 200 is in the orientationshown in FIG. 2). If the data processing device is in the secondoperational mode, then images may be rendered as illustrated in FIG. 3.Finally, if the data processing device is in the third operational mode(i.e., with the keyboard 500 exposed), then images will be rendered onthe display 206 as illustrated in FIG. 8 (i.e., inverted with respect tothe orientation shown in FIG. 2). Various other graphical user interfacefeatures may be modified within the user interface 1510 based on thedetected operational mode of the data processing device 200 (e.g., menulayout, application icons, . . . etc).

Another embodiment of a data processing device 1600 is illustrated inFIGS. 16-17. The data processing device 1600 includes a display 1610with a viewable display area 1605 for displaying various types of textand graphics. Moreover, as in the embodiments described above, the dataprocessing device 1600 also includes a plurality of different modes ofoperation which may be associated with a respective plurality of displayand/or device orientations. In the first mode of operation, the displayis viewed in a first position, illustrated generally in FIG. 16 in whichit covers an alphanumeric keyboard 1705 (illustrated in FIG. 17). Inthis first position, the display is located flush within the boundarydefined by the non-display portions of the data processing device 1600.

By contrast, the display is illustrated in a second position in FIG. 17,in which the alphanumeric keyboard 1705 is exposed and usable for dataentry. In one embodiment, the second position of the display correspondsto a second mode of operation as described with respect to otherembodiments herein. As shown in FIG. 17, in one embodiment, the displayslides from the first position to the second position in a directionsubstantially parallel to a plane defined by the front surface of thedata processing device 1600, as indicated by motion arrows 1725. Thesliding motion may be accomplished via pins or posts (not shown) on thebackside of the display 1610 that are engaged with tracks 1710, 1715located on the face of the data processing device 1600 to the left andright of the alphanumeric keyboard 1705, respectively.

Various additional/alternative mechanisms may be used to guide thedisplay from the first position to the second position (and vice versa).For example, in one embodiment, substantially the same mechanism asillustrated in FIGS. 5-9 is employed to rotate the display from thefirst position to the second position. In addition, as in theembodiments illustrated in FIGS. 5-9, the display 1610 may be configuredto lift upward at various different angles in relation to the dataprocessing device, both prior to sliding to the second position and/orafter it has reached the second position. The mechanisms illustrated inFIGS. 10 or 11 may be employed to enable this type of motion. Of course,various other well-known techniques may also be employed (e.g., usingsprings and/ or friction).

In one embodiment, the data processing device 1600 includes a first setof control elements 1615 positioned to the right of the display 1610 anda second set of control elements 1620 positioned to the left of thedisplay (i.e., to the right and left while the display in the firstposition illustrated in FIG. 16). In one embodiment, the first set ofcontrol elements 1615 includes a control wheel 1630 positioned betweentwo control buttons 1626, 1635, as illustrated. As in prior embodimentsof the invention, the control wheel 1630 may be used to move a cursorcontrol device, highlight bar or other selection graphic on the displayto select menu items, program icons and/or other graphical or textualdisplay elements. In one embodiment, the control wheel 1630 is made ofclear plastic with an light emitting diode (“LED”) or other light sourceembedded therein.

In one embodiment, the first control button 1626, located above thecontrol wheel 1630, is a “page up” button for generating “page up”control functions. For example, when a word processing document, Webpage, email message or other type of document is displayed in theforeground of the display 1610, selection of the first control button1626 will jump upward through the displayed data/images by a fulldisplay screen's Worth of data/images. When navigating through menus,selection of the first control button 1626 may cause a selection elementto jump multiple menu items or other graphical elements. Variousdifferent/additional “page up” functions may be trigged via the firstcontrol button 1626 while still complying with the underlying principlesof the invention. The second control button 1635, located below thecontrol wheel 1630, is a “page down” button for generating “page down”control functions (e.g., which operate in the same manner as the “pageup” control functions but in the opposite direction).

In one embodiment, a series of additional control elements 1650,1655,1660, and 1670 are configured on the data processing device 1600 toprovide various additional preprogrammed and/or user-specified controlfunctions. For example, a control element 1650 may be a designated“home” key for jumping to the data processing device's main menu, orperforming application-specific functions typically associated with a“home” key (e.g., moving a cursor to the beginning of a line in a wordprocessing document). Control element 1655 may be a dedicated a “menu”key which generates a context-specific menu when selected (e.g., adifferent menu may be generated based on which application is currentlyrunning). Control keys 1660 and 1665 may be designated “jump” keys,allowing the user to easily jump to (i.e., execute) a designatedapplication program. The control elements 1650,1655, 1660 and 1665 maybe programmed for various alternate and/or additional functions whilestill complying with the underlying principles of the invention.

In one embodiment, the second set of control elements includes adirectional pad 1645 having an integrated speaker 1646 and/or LED (notshown) (or other light source). In one embodiment, the directional pad1645 is designed in substantially the same manner as the directional paddescribed in the co-pending application entitled DIRECTIONAL PAD HAVINGINTEGRATED ACOUSTIC SYSTEM AND LIGHTING SYSTEM, Ser. No. ______, Filed______, which is assigned to the assignee of the present application andwhich is incorporated herein by reference.

The directional pad 1645 may be used to move a cursor or other selectiongraphic in any direction on the display to enable selection of menuitems, program icons and other graphical or textual display elements.The directional pad 1645 may be made of frosted translucent plastic andmay be white in color, although other materials and colors may be used.The LED contained in the directional pad may be a tri-color LED thatgenerates a variety of colors to alert the user when an incoming messagehas been received. In “telephony mode” (described below), the speaker1646 contained in the directional pad 1645 enables the user to hear theparty on the other end of a call. In addition, a microphone 1640 isconfigured at the end of the data processing device 1600 opposite thespeaker 1646 so that the data processing device 1600 may be held like amobile phone while in telephony mode (i.e., when the speaker placed nextto the user's ear, the microphone is located in the proximity of theuser's mouth).

In one embodiment, when in “telephony mode” the functions performed bythe various control elements 1615,1620 and/or keys on the keypad 1705change to designated telephony functions. For example, in the telephonymode of operation, the control button 1626 above the scroll wheel mayfunction as a “call” button with which the user may initiate a telephonecall once the number to be called has been entered. The control button1625 below the scroll wheel 1630 may function as a “hang up” button,with which the user may conclude a telephone call. Similarly, referringto FIG. 17, to simplify numeric data entry when in telephony mode, adesignated set of alphanumeric keys 1720 from the keyboard 1705 maychange to a numeric keypad (e.g., the ‘y’ key may change to a ‘1’ key,the ‘u’ key may change to a ‘2’ key, . . . etc).

In addition, the glyphs on the control elements 1615,1620 and/or keys onthe keypad 1705 may change to reflect the change in operation in thesame or a similar manner as described in the embodiments above. Forexample, light emitted by LEDs embedded within the control buttons 1625and 1626 on either side of the scroll wheel 1630 may be modified toreflect the change in operation in telephony mode. In one embodiment,for example, the “call” and “hang up” glyphs are highlighted on thecontrol buttons 1625 and 1626, in contrast to “page up” and “page down”glyphs, respectively.

In one embodiment, two-color LEDs are employed within the keys of thealphanumeric keyboard 1705. When the data processing device is not intelephony mode, both colors of the two-color LEDs are illuminated underall of the alphanumeric keys 1705, thereby highlighting the standard setof alphanumeric glyphs on the keys. For example, if the two-color LEDsare red and green, the combination will generate an amber color beneaththe alphanumeric keys 1705. By contrast, when in telephony mode, onlyone color of each of the two-color LEDs is illuminated. Moreover, in oneembodiment, the one LED is illuminated only beneath each of thedesignated set of numeric keypad keys 1720 (as opposed to illuminatingthe one LED beneath each of the entire alphanumeric keyboard 1705). Byway of example, if only the green LEDs are illuminated beneath each ofthe designated set of keys 1720, then the numeric keypad glyphs (i.e.,numbered 1-9) will be illuminated with a green color in contrast to thestandard alphanumeric glyphs. Various different techniques may beemployed to illuminate the numeric keypad glyphs and/or the standardalphanumeric glyphs based on the mode of operation, including thosedescribed above with respect to FIGS. 12 and 13 and those described inthe co-pending application entitled “A METHOD OF DYNAMICALLY LIGHTINGKEYBOARD GLYPHS,” mentioned above.

Another embodiment of a data processing device 1800 is illustrated inFIGS. 18 a, 18 b, 19 and 20. This embodiment operates in a substantiallysimilar manner to the embodiments depicted in FIGS. 16-17 but includesadditional functionality. Specifically, when the data processing device1800 is in a “telephony mode,” a third orientation of the display isavailable, illustrated generally in FIG. 18 a, in which a numeric keypad1820 is exposed. The display 1810 of this embodiment is moveablyattached to the numeric keypad 1820. In one embodiment, the backside ofthe display 1810 includes pins or posts which are engaged with tracks1825, 1830 located on the face of the numeric keypad 1820, on eitherside of the keypad keys. The motion of the display 1810 from a positionin which it covers the numeric keypad (shown in FIG. 19) to a positionin which it exposes the numeric keypad 1820 (shown in FIGS. 18 a-b) isindicated generally by motion arrows 1840.

In one embodiment, the data processing device 1800 automaticallyswitches into “telephony mode” in response to the movement of thedisplay from the position shown in FIG. 19 to the position shown in FIG.18 a-b, thereby triggering one or more of the telephony mode functionsdescribed herein. As in prior embodiments, various different types ofswitches may be employed to detect the motion of the display relative tothe numeric keypad 1820 (e.g., mechanical switches, electromechanicalswitches).

The plane defined by the display 1810 may move in a substantiallyparallel or co-planar manner with respect to the plane defined by thenumeric keypad 1820 as the display moves from the position in FIG. 19 tothe position in FIG. 18 a (and vice versa). Alternatively, asillustrated in FIG. 18 b, in one embodiment, the plane defined by thedisplay 1810 moves from a parallel/co-planar position into an angledposition with respect to the plane defined by the numeric keypad 1820(i.e., as the display moves from the position in FIG. 19 to the positionin FIG. 18 a-b). In one embodiment, to enable this movement, only thelower end of the backside of the display 1812 includes pins or postswhich are engaged with tracks 1825,1830 located on the face of thenumeric keypad 1820. The other end of the display 1813 may move freelyaround a pivot point defined by the connection between the pins/postsand tracks 1825,1830. In this embodiment, springs (not shown) or asimilar torsion mechanism may be employed to apply a force directing thedisplay 1810 back towards the body of the data processing device 1800,as indicated by force/motion arrow 1814.

The embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 18 a-b, which shows the device froma side view, employs a different mechanism for moving the display fromthe position in FIG. 19 to the second position shown in FIG. 18 a.Specifically, this embodiment includes a first pair of linkages 1850(one of which is shown) rotatably attached to the display 1813 at oneend 1856 and rotatably attached to the device/keypad 1820 at the otherend 1855 and a second pair of linkages 1851 (only one of which is shown)rotatably attached to the display 1813 at one end 1858 and rotatablyattached to the device/keypad 1820 at the other end 1857. In oneembodiment, the first set of linkages 1850 are relatively longer thanthe second set of linkages 1851. As such, when the display is moved fromthe first position, illustrated in FIG. 18 a to the second position,illustrated in FIG. 18 b, it angled with respect to the device/keypad1820, as shown, thereby fitting around a user's head more accuratelyduring a telephone call.

Regardless of the specific technique used to move the display 1810, oncethe display is in the position illustrated in FIG. 18 a, the exposednumeric keypad 1820 is particularly suitable for entering telephonenumbers and performing other telephony-based functions. In theembodiment shown in FIG. 18 a, the numeric keypad includes a standardset of telephone keys, including a send/answer key 1821 forsending/answering calls, an end key 1822 for terminating calls, and amenu key 1823 for generating a telephony-based menu within the viewablearea 1805 of the display screen 1810. Various other keys may be employedon the numeric keypad while still complying with the underlyingprinciples of the invention.

In addition, in one embodiment, the combination of the display 1810 andnumeric keypad 1820 are adjustable from the position illustrated in FIG.19 to the position illustrated in FIG. 20, in which the fullalphanumeric keypad 2015 is exposed. As indicated by motion arrows 2020,the direction of the motion of the display 1810 and numeric keypad 1820is substantially perpendicular to the direction of the motion of thedisplay 1810 in FIGS. 18 a-b. In one embodiment, to enable this motion,the backside of the numeric keypad 1820 has pins or posts which areengaged with tracks 2005, 2010, located on the face of the alphanumerickeypad 2015. As with the embodiments described above (see, e.g., FIG.9), the display 1810/keypad 1820 combination may lift upward at variousdifferent angles relative to the data processing device 1800, both priorto sliding to the second position and/or after reaching the secondposition.

In one embodiment, the numeric keypad 1820 is a “passive” keypad whichdoes not include any electrical circuitry. In this embodiment, thenumeric keypad 1820 is formed from a thin, plastic material (or similarmaterial) having indications of telephony keys printed thereon. Each ofthe printed telephony keys is positioned to line up with one or more ofthe keys on the alphanumeric keyboard 2015 when the keypad 1820 isoriented as illustrated in FIG. 18 a. Accordingly, when a user selects aparticular key from the numeric keypad 1820, a force is translatedthrough the numeric keypad key to one or more keys on the alphanumerickeyboard 2015 directly below the keypad key. Thus, when the dataprocessing device 1800 is in the “telephony mode” illustrated in FIGS. 8a-b, each key of the alphanumeric keyboard 2015 positioned beneath aparticular numeric keypad key is configured to perform the operationdesignated on the corresponding keypad key. For example, when in thismode of operation, the DEL key of the alphanumeric keyboard 2015 mayperform the MENU function designated by the menu key 1823 of the numerickeypad 1820 (i.e., because the DEL key is positioned beneath the menukey 1823. FIG. 20 shows the silhouette of the numeric keypad 1820 keysbeneath the display 1805 when the data processing device is in one ofthe “data entry” modes.

In one embodiment, an “active” numeric keypad may be employed ratherthan a “passive” numeric keypad, as described above. The active keypadincludes an electrical interface which electrically couples the keypadto the data processing device. Of course, the underlying principles ofthe invention are not limited to any particular type of numeric keypad.

As shown in FIGS. 18 a, 19 and 20, a speaker 1815 is configured at thetop edge of the display 1810. While in the telephony orientation/modeillustrated in FIGS. 18 a-b, the data processing device may be held likea mobile phone so that the speaker 1815 is close to the user's ear andthe microphone 1845 at the other end of the device is close to theuser's mouth. In one embodiment, the speaker 1815 and microphone 1845may also be used for telephone calls when the display 1810 is in theorientation illustrated in FIG. 19.

In an alternate embodiment (not shown), the display 1810 and numerickeypad may swivel out in unison from the first position to the secondposition in a fashion similar to that depicted in FIG. 1 c. In thisembodiment, the tracks on the alphanumeric keyboard are unnecessary, asare the pins or posts that slide along those tracks. Instead, thedisplay is pivotally coupled to the data processing device and pivotsaround a pivot point. As with the embodiment shown in FIG. 20, thedisplay may lift upward at various different angles in relation to thedata processing device, both prior to sliding to the second positionand/ or after it has reached the second position.

In addition, as illustrated generally in FIGS. 18-20, in one embodiment,when switching between modes, the orientation of images and/or text onthe display screen will change. For example, when the data processingdevice is in telephony mode, as shown in FIG. 18 a, images and/or textare displayed right-side-up when the first set of control elements isoriented at the bottom of the device. By contrast, when the dataprocessing device is in either of the modes shown in FIGS. 19-20, imagesand/or text are displayed right-side-up when the first set of controlelements is oriented at the right side of the device.

Embodiments of the invention may include various steps as set forthabove. The steps may be embodied in machine-executable instructions. Theinstructions can be used to cause a general-purpose or special-purposeprocessor to perform certain steps. Alternatively, these steps may beperformed by specific hardware components that contain hardwired logicfor performing the steps, or by any combination of programmed computercomponents and custom hardware components.

Elements of the present invention may also be provided as amachine-readable medium for storing the machine-executable instructions.The machine-readable medium may include, but is not limited to, floppydiskettes, optical disks, CD-ROMs, and magneto-optical disks, ROMs,RAMs, EPROMs, EEPROMs, magnetic or optical cards, propagation media orother type of media/machine-readable medium suitable for storingelectronic instructions. For example, the present invention may bedownloaded as a computer program which may be transferred from a remotecomputer (e.g., a server) to a requesting computer (e.g., a client) byway of data signals embodied in a carrier wave or other propagationmedium via a communication link (e.g., a modem or network connection).

Throughout the foregoing description, for the purposes of explanation,numerous specific details were set forth in order to provide a thoroughunderstanding of the invention. It will be apparent, however, to oneskilled in the art that the invention may be practiced without some ofthese specific details. For example, while the embodiments describedabove employ specific techniques for highlighting glyphs on keys/controlelements, the underlying principles of the invention are not limited toany particular glyph highlighting mechanism. Accordingly, the scope andspirit of the invention should be judged in terms of the claims whichfollow.

1. An apparatus comprising: a data processing device having a memory forstoring program code and data and a processor for processing the programcode and data, and a display for displaying graphical images and text; acontrol wheel rotatably and communicatively engaged with the dataprocessing device, the control wheel causing a graphic element on thedisplay to move in a first direction by a first predefined amount whenrotated in a first direction and causing the graphic element to move ina second direction by the first predefined amount when rotated in asecond direction; a first input button communicatively coupled to thedata processing device and positioned directly adjacent to the controlwheel in the first direction; and a second input button communicativelycoupled to the data processing device and positioned directly adjacentto the control wheel in the second direction, wherein the first inputbutton causes the graphic element to move in the first direction by asecond predefined amount when selected and wherein the second inputbutton causes the graphic element to move in the second direction by asecond predefined amount when selected.
 2. The apparatus as in claim 1wherein the graphic element is a graphical cursor.
 3. The apparatus asin claim 2 wherein the first predefined amount comprises a single cursorjump and wherein the second predefined amount comprises a full pagejump.
 4. The apparatus as in claim 2 wherein the first input button is apage up button and the second input button is a page down button,causing the cursor to jump a page up in the first direction or a pagedown in the second direction, respectively.
 5. The apparatus as in claim1 wherein the control wheel comprises a switch triggered when thecontrol wheel is depressed towards the data processing apparatus.
 6. Theapparatus as in claim 5 wherein a graphical element highlighted on thedisplay is selected responsive to the switch triggering.
 7. Theapparatus as in claim 6 wherein the control wheel comprises a lightemitting diode (“LED”) configured to generate light responsive tocontrol signals generated by the data processing device.
 8. Theapparatus as in claim 7 wherein the control signals are generatedresponsive to an incoming telephone call directed to the data processingapparatus.
 9. The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the data processingapparatus includes a first operating mode and a second operating mode;wherein in the first operating mode, the first input button causes thegraphic element to move in the first direction by a second predefinedamount when selected and wherein the second input button causes thegraphic element to move in the second direction by a second predefinedamount when selected; and wherein in the second operating mode, thefirst input button causes the data processing device to answer anincoming telephone call and/or to initiate an outgoing telephone callwhen selected, and wherein the second input button causes the dataprocessing device to disconnect a telephone call when selected.
 10. Theapparatus as in claim 1 further comprising: an alphanumeric keyboardconfigured on the data processing device to provide alphanumeric dataentry functions.
 11. The apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising: aspeaker and microphone configured on the data processing device toprovide audio input/output functions.
 12. The apparatus as in claim 11wherein one of the audio input/output functions comprises telephonyaudio functions.
 13. An apparatus comprising: a data processing devicehaving a memory for storing program code and data and a processor forprocessing the program code and data, and a display for displayinggraphical images and text, the display having a top side, a bottom side,a left side, and a right side; a control wheel rotatably andcommunicatively engaged with the data processing device, the controlwheel causing a graphic element on the display to move in a firstdirection by a first predefined amount when rotated towards the top sideof the display and causing the graphic element to move in a seconddirection by the first predefined amount when rotated towards the bottomof the display; a first input button communicatively coupled to the dataprocessing device and positioned directly adjacent to the control wheelon a side of the control wheel positioned towards the top of thedisplay; and a second input button communicatively coupled to the dataprocessing device and positioned directly adjacent to the control wheelon a side of the control wheel positioned towards the bottom of thedisplay, wherein the first input button causes the graphic element tomove in the first direction by a second predefined amount when selectedand wherein the second input button causes the graphic element to movein the second direction by a second predefined amount when selected. 14.The apparatus as in claim 13 wherein the control wheel, first inputbutton and second input button are positioned adjacent to the right sideof the display.
 15. The apparatus as in claim 13 wherein the graphicelement is a graphical cursor.
 16. The apparatus as in claim 13 whereinthe first predefined amount comprises a single cursor jump and whereinthe second predefined amount comprises a full page jump.
 17. Theapparatus as in claim 15 wherein the first input button is a page upbutton and the second input button is a page down button, causing thecursor to jump a page up in the first direction or a page down in thesecond direction, respectively.
 18. The apparatus as in claim 13 whereinthe control wheel comprises a switch triggered when the control wheel isdepressed towards the data processing apparatus.
 19. The apparatus as inclaim 18 wherein a graphical element highlighted on the display isselected responsive to the switch triggering.
 20. The apparatus as inclaim 19 wherein the control wheel comprises a light emitting diode(“LED”) configured to generate light responsive to control signalsgenerated by the data processing device.
 21. The apparatus as in claim20 wherein the control signals are generated responsive to an incomingtelephone call directed to the data processing apparatus.
 22. Theapparatus as in claim 13 wherein the data processing apparatus includesa first operating mode and a second operating mode; wherein in the firstoperating mode, the first input button causes the graphic element tomove in the first direction by a second predefined amount when selectedand wherein the second input button causes the graphic element to movein the second direction by a second predefined amount when selected; andwherein in the second operating mode, the first input button causes thedata processing device to answer an incoming telephone call and/or toinitiate an outgoing telephone call when selected, and wherein thesecond input button causes the data processing device to disconnect atelephone call when selected.
 23. The apparatus as in claim 13 furthercomprising: an alphanumeric keyboard configured on the data processingdevice to provide alphanumeric data entry functions.
 24. The apparatusas in claim 13 further comprising: a speaker and microphone configuredon the data processing device to provide audio input/output functions.25. The apparatus as in claim 24 wherein one of the audio input/outputfunctions comprises telephony audio functions.
 26. The apparatus as inclaim 13 wherein the first direction is towards the top side of thedisplay and wherein the second direction comprises towards the bottomside of the display.
 27. The apparatus as in claim 13 wherein the firstdirection is towards the right side of the display and wherein thesecond direction comprises towards the bottom side of the display. 28.An apparatus comprising: data processing means having a memory forstoring program code and data and a processor for processing the programcode and data, and a display for displaying graphical images and text; arotatable input means rotatably and communicatively engaged with thedata processing device, the rotatable input means causing a graphicelement on the display to move in a first direction by a firstpredefined amount when rotated towards the top side of the display andcausing the graphic element to move in a second direction by the firstpredefined amount when rotated towards the bottom of the display; firstinput means communicatively coupled to the data processing device andpositioned directly adjacent to the control wheel on a side of thecontrol wheel positioned towards the top of the display; and secondinput means communicatively coupled to the data processing device andpositioned directly adjacent to the control wheel on a side of thecontrol wheel positioned towards the bottom of the display, wherein thefirst input means causes the graphic element to move in the firstdirection by a second predefined amount when selected and wherein thesecond input means causes the graphic element to move in the seconddirection by a second predefined amount when selected.